CACFP Training

Provides information for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) operators on required and optional (elective) training, as well as additional training opportunities.

CDSS Bright Track Online Training

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) offers CACFP and nutrition training, including annual mandatory training, prospective operator training, and optional (elective) training through the online platform, CDSS Bright Track (BT). All courses are available in English and Spanish and include a link to a written transcript.

There are 65 online trainings available through CDSS BT. New versions for many courses become available at the start of each program year (October 1) to allow CACFP operators to retake a course as a refresher and earn a new certificate. Refer to the Optional (Elective) Training section below for information on courses that reset annually.

Who can create a CDSS BT account?

CDSS BT accounts may be created by key staff at institutions that have an agreement with the CDSS to operate the CACFP. CDSS BT accounts cannot be created by vendors, day care home providers, or staff at sponsored centers.

‘Key staff’ for the purposes of training is defined in the CDSS CACFP Bulletin 2023–02: Training Requirements in the CACFP, as an institution’s authorized representative, program contact, or their designee. The authorized representative is responsible for the full oversight of the CACFP, and the program contact manages the day-to-day CACFP operations. Designees include employees at an independent center or sponsoring organization with CACFP duties (e.g., menu planners, monitors, fiscal staff).

Family child care home providers, staff at sponsored centers, vendors, and others who do not meet the definition of ‘key staff’ should contact their sponsoring organization (if applicable) for training options and/or visit the Additional Online Training Opportunities section at the bottom of this page for information on free and low-cost training opportunities.

The CDSS will periodically reconcile BT accounts to ensure that they are only created by key staff at institutions that have an agreement with the CDSS to operate the CACFP.

How do CACFP operators create a CDSS BT account?

Key staff at CACFP institutions must create a CDSS BT account before registering for online courses by completing each field on the BT Registration page and selecting Submit at the bottom of the page.

For instructions on creating an account and registering for a course, access the BT How to Create a New User Account & Register for a Course video and/or the BT Quick Start Guide.

CACFP operators will need to enter the following Access Code to enroll in online courses: CACFP.

The CDSS BT Help tab provides technical assistance on how to create a new account, register for a course, retrieve a lost password, access certificates of completion, and navigate the CDSS BT platform. For additional assistance, CACFP operators may complete and submit a BT Help Desk Training Support Form.

How many CDSS BT accounts are allowed for each CACFP institution?

The CDSS is limited in the number of accounts that the CDSS BT training platform can support. Therefore, each institution is provided with 10 BT accounts, which is typically enough for each key staff at an institution to have an account.

The CDSS will not delete accounts for an institution that currently has more than 10 accounts; however, the CDSS will work with the institution’s administration to manage the number of BT accounts if staff from the institution submit a CDSS BT User Account Requests form to request an increase in the number of BT accounts.

Upon submission of the CDSS BT User Account Requests form, the CDSS will contact the institution’s authorized representative and/or program contact (unless the form submitter is listed as one of these two positions or is on the Responsible Principals List in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System [CNIPS]) to obtain approval.

For institutions that use the BT online courses to train staff at facilities (sponsored centers and homes), the CDSS recommends that the institution's administration create one general BT account and share the log in information with facility staff to allow access to the BT courses. Certificates of completion cannot be customized for each person in this situation; however, creating one general account will provide staff at sponsored centers and homes with access to the BT courses and there are other methods to track training completion. For example, CACFP operators can host an in-person training where BT courses are used and attendance by each staff at the training is documented.

How long do CDSS BT accounts remain active?

CDSS BT accounts remain active unless the user does not log in to their account for over two years. After two years of no activity, BT accounts are automatically deactivated and the user cannot enroll in new courses; however, users with deactivated accounts may still log in to BT and select the My Account menu to access certificates from completed courses and complete unfinished courses.

Note: Training records are never deleted to ensure CACFP institutions receive credit for online courses completed by their staff.

CACFP operators may request to reactivate a deactivated account or deactivate an active account (to free up the number of BT accounts available to an institution) by completing a CDSS BT User Account Requests form.

Upon submission of this form, the CDSS will contact the institution’s administration to obtain approval to reactivate and deactivate BT accounts.

Once a BT account is reactivated, the user must log in to Bright Track by the first day of the following month and at least once every two years to prevent the account from being automatically deactivated again.

Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs Online Course

CACFP staff who do not have a Bright Track (BT) account can complete the annual civil rights training requirement (per Food and Nutrition Instruction 113-1: Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement) by selecting the English or Spanish version of the Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) course and accompanying participant workbook below. At the end of the course, viewers will be prompted to complete an online form which will allow them to receive a personalized and dated certificate of completion by email.

Key staff who have a BT account should complete the CDSS–150: Civil Rights Training for CNPs on the CDSS BT web page.

A new version of this course (in English and Spanish) is available at the start of each program year, October 1.

English version Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs over an image of fruit (English participant workbook)

Spanish version Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Programs over an image of fruit (Spanish participant workbook)

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CACFP Annual Mandatory Training

The 2025–26 CACFP Annual Mandatory Training (course CDSS-110) is currently available on the CDSS Bright Track (BT) training platform. CACFP operators are required to complete course CDSS-110: 2025–26 CACFP Annual Mandatory Training by June 30, 2026.

The CDSS CACFP Branch will not approve renewal applications for the 2026–27 program year for CACFP operators who do not complete the 2025–26 CACFP Annual Mandatory Training.

Who must complete the annual mandatory training?

All CACFP operators, including child care centers, adult day care centers, at-risk afterschool care centers, emergency shelters, and sponsoring organizations, must ensure that either the authorized representative, the program contact, or their designee completes the online CACFP Annual Mandatory Training. Other key staff at the agency who are authorized to have a BT account may also complete course CDSS -110: CACFP Annual Mandatory Training.

New CACFP operators who joined the CACFP in the current program year are not required to complete that current program year’s CACFP Annual Mandatory Training. For example, CACFP operators who joined the CACFP in the 2025–26 program year are not required to complete the 2025–26 CACFP Mandatory Annual Training. However, those CACFP operators are required to complete the 2026–27 CACFP Annual Mandatory Training.

The CDSS does not require day care home providers or staff at sponsored centers to complete the CDSS CACFP Annual Mandatory Training.

What is included in the annual mandatory training?

The CACFP Annual Mandatory Training provides a review of CACFP regulations and procedures to assist CACFP operators with program integrity. The training includes the six lessons below.

Civil Rights
Performance Standards
Food Service
Recordkeeping
Financial Management and Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program
Program Oversight and the Serious Deficiency Process

CACFP operators must select the Mark Complete button at the bottom of the page after viewing each topic within a lesson and pass a 10-question lesson quiz by correctly answering at least eight questions in each lesson quiz. Three attempts are provided to pass each lesson quiz. If a lesson quiz is not passed after three attempts, CACFP operators must complete a CDSS BT Help Desk Training Support Form to request additional quiz attempts. BT Help Desk staff will notify CACFP operators within one business day when additional quiz attempts are available.

After successfully completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training, CACFP operators will receive a certificate of completion, accessible in the CDSS BT My Account menu when the user is logged in to CDSS Bright Track.

The expected time to complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training is six hours. CACFP operators are not required to complete the training in one session. The training will resume at the last place the user was when they logged off.

How do CACFP operators complete the training?

All CACFP operators will complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training as an online course through the CDSS BT training platform. CACFP operators who have a CDSS BT account can log in and register for the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training (course CDSS–110) on the CDSS BT home page.

CACFP operators who do not have a CDSS BT account must first create a user account before registering to complete the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training. The CDSS BT home page includes a How to Create a New User Account and Register for an Online Course video tutorial. Written instructions on creating a user account and registering for an online course are also available in the CDSS BT Quick Start Guide.

CACFP operators will need to enter the following Access Code to register for the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training on the CDSS BT platform: CACFP.

What if I am taking the training on behalf of more than one institution?

Key staff who are completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training on behalf of more than one institution must contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with the CNIPS IDs (five digits starting with zero; for example, 01234) of each CACFP institution.

The CDSS CACFP Training Team will update CDSS BT user accounts to identify individuals who are taking the training on behalf of multiple CACFP institutions and ensure these CACFP institutions receive credit for completing the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirement.

Contact Information for Annual Mandatory Training

The CDSS BT Help tab provides technical assistance on how to create a new user account, register for a course, retrieve a lost password, access certificates of completion, and navigate the CDSS BT platform. For additional assistance, CACFP operators may submit technical assistance questions related to the training platform in the CDSS BT Contact tab.

For questions about the CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirement, prospective CACFP operator training, optional training, and in-person training opportunities, please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov.

Please review the CDSS Training Requirements in the CACFP Bulletin for additional information regarding CACFP Annual Mandatory Training requirements.

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Prospective Operator Training

If you are a prospective CACFP operator and need information regarding required training, please contact your county CACFP Specialist. A list of CACFP Specialists by county is available on the CDSS CACFP Contact List web page.

During the CACFP application process, county CACFP Specialists will require prospective CACFP operators to complete a series of online trainings, depending on agency type. These trainings are designed to instruct prospective CACFP operators on the requirements needed to successfully operate the CACFP. Prospective CACFP operators must complete all training requirements prior to operating the CACFP and claiming meals for reimbursement.

Please review the CDSS Training Requirements in the CACFP Bulletin for additional information regarding Prospective CACFP operator training.

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CACFP Online Optional Training

There are dozens of optional online trainings currently available through the CDSS Bright Track (BT) platform. Topics include but are not limited to the following topics: Financial viability, recordkeeping and claims, budgets, menu planning, adding cultural foods to menus, special dietary needs, food allergies, family-style meal service, and much more!

Users will be required to create an account before registering for courses. Before creating a user account and beginning the registration process, please view the Registration video or Quick Start Guide on the CDSS BT web page (scroll to the bottom of the page).

New Annual Versions of BT Courses

New versions of the courses listed below are available at the start of each program year.

CDSS 130–CACFP Performance Standards
CDSS 150–Civil Rights Training for Child Nutrition Program Operators
CDSS 160–Sponsoring Organization Hearing Official Training
CDSS 181–Procurement for CACFP Operators
CDSS 211–Meal Counting, Claiming, and Documentation for Homes
CDSS 505–Creditable vs Non-creditable–A CACFP Meal Pattern Guide
CDSS 506–Creditable vs Non-creditable–A CACFP Infant Meal Pattern Guide
CDSS 514–Family Style Meal Service
CDSS 555–Food Safety Essentials
CDSS 601–Eligibility Determination
CDSS 602–CACFP Enrollment
CDSS 604–Meal Counting, Claiming, and Documentation for Centers
CDSS 605–Crediting Foods in the CACFP
CDSS 609–Sponsor Monitoring
CDSS 610–Maintaining a Nonprofit Food Service Program
CDSS 611–Child Care Centers and Head Start Recordkeeping
CDSS 612–At-Risk Recordkeeping
CDSS 613–Outside School Hours Recordkeeping
CDSS 614–Emergency Shelter Recordkeeping
CDSS 615–Adult Center Recordkeeping

New annual versions of these courses allows CACFP operators to retake a course as a refresher and earn an additional certificate.

CACFP operators who want to retake a course that is not on the list above must submit a BT Help Desk Training Support form and select ‘Certificate – Earn a new certificate for a course’ from the ‘Select your issue’ drop-down list. The BT Help Desk Team will reset the course so the CACFP operator can receive an updated certificate with a new date after they pass the quiz; however, this will replace the prior certificate so CACFP operators should download and save the prior certificate before requesting to earn a new certificate.

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In-person and Virtual Training

2026 Nutrition Trainings

The 2026 Nutrition Training schedule is now available to help you plan training attendance for the year. The training offerings include the CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops along with five new trainings that are offered outside of the Bright Track online training platform. Sessions are offered both in-person and live virtually and include:

Feeding Infants in the CACFP Series
Farm to CACFP Basics Workshops
Grain Expectations: Mastering CACFP Requirements
Menu Planning Made Easy
Meals That Count: CACFP Meal Pattern Essentials

For a snapshot of the 2026 upcoming trainings, refer to the training flyer (link to flyer). As registration becomes available, this section of the training web page will be updated to include the details on how to register for the trainings.

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Registration Open in Summer 2026: CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy Workshops

Overview

The CDSS hosts free CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops each summer and fall to assist CACFP operators to comply with the meal pattern requirements.

The workshops include tutorials and engaging activities to learn how to:

Serve meals that meet the CACFP meal pattern requirements
Use the USDA FBG tools (e.g., FBG Calculator)
Identify creditable standardized recipes
Learn how to calculate the contribution to the meal pattern for recipes
Understand how to accommodate requests for meal modifications
Credit grains using ounce equivalents
Understand required documentation to demonstrate meal pattern compliance

Target Audience

The target audience is CACFP operators who are involved in planning, purchasing, or serving meals to children and/or adults, and are either new to the program or want to learn more about identifying creditable foods, using the USDA FBG tools, and understanding meal pattern documentation requirements.

Schedule

The CDSS will send an email to all CACFP operators announcing the dates, locations, and registration instructions at least six weeks prior to the first workshop (planned for summer and fall 2026).

Contact

Please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with questions about the CACFP Meal Pattern Crediting Academy workshops.

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Registration Open in Fall 2026! Virtual Training: Grain Expectations – Mastering CACFP Requirements

Training Description

The Grain Expectations: Mastering CACFP Requirements training will provide guidance to assist CACFP operators to:

Identify creditable grains and whole grain-rich foods
Ensure breakfast cereals meet added sugars limits
Determine the contribution of various food items in grain ounce equivalents
Understand documentation requirements for grain products
Recognize common grain compliance issues

Target Audience

The target audience for the Grain Expectations: Mastering CACFP Requirements training is CACFP operators involved in planning, purchasing, preparing, and/or serving CACFP meals and snacks.

Registration

The CDSS will send an email with registration details in fall 2026.

Contact Information

For questions about the Grain Expectations: Mastering CACFP Requirements training or other nutrition training opportunities, contact the CDSS CACFP Nutrition Training Team by email CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov.

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Registration Open in Winter 2026: Virtual Training Series: Feeding Infants in the CACFP - From Birth to One Year

Overview

The CDSS hosts free virtual infant feeding trainings in the Winter. This training series provides guidance for CACFP operators on the infant meal pattern and feeding requirements for infants from birth through 11 months of age. The training uses the USDA's Feeding Infants in the CACFP guide as a core resource, covering essential topics to ensure compliance and promote healthy infant development. Each series consists of two, 2-hour training sessions (part one and part two) on two different days and will be offered virtually through the Zoom platform. The part two content builds on part one, therefore attendance on both days of the series is highly recommended. Upon registration, participants will automatically be registered for both training sessions in the series (see Schedule and Registration information below).

Target Audience

The target audience is child care centers and sponsors of day care home providers who serve infants.

Schedule and Registration

The CDSS will send an email to all CACFP operators announcing the dates, locations, and registration instructions at least six weeks prior to the first workshop (planned for Winter 2027).

Contact Please contact the CDSS CACFP Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov with questions about the Feeding Infants in the CACFP - From Birth to One Year training.

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Farm to CACFP Training

The CDSS Farm to CACFP Initiative web page includes training opportunities in the Trainings section.

Child Care Forums

Child Care Meal Quality (MQ) Forums

The Child Care MQ Forums are designed to assist early child care program food service staff with enhancing the quality of meals served to young children by highlighting healthy menu planning, food preparation, culinary skills, and kitchen safety. All attendees will receive a variety of tools and resources that they can immediately use in their day care homes or child care centers. Visit California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) Child Care MQ Forums for the agendas and session descriptions for the introductory and advanced MQ forums, speakers, professional growth hours, and registration information.

Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity (NPA) Forums

The Child Care NPA Forums highlight and demonstrate methods for integrating nutrition education, edible gardens, wellness policies, and physical activity into child care programs. Participants will learn ways to create learning environments that maximize opportunities for children to develop healthy eating habits and to move their bodies to learn. These forums provide a unique platform where early childhood educators can express challenges and develop solutions toward supporting active living and healthy eating environments. Visit the CPIN Child Care NPA Forums for the agenda, session descriptions, speakers, professional growth hours, and registration information.

Conferences

CACFP Roundtable Conference

The annual CACFP Roundtable Conference provides the CACFP community with an opportunity for professional growth. Sessions range from topics such as program operations and management, nutrition and eating environments, advocacy and outreach, and professional growth.

National CACFP Sponsors Association Conference

The annual CACFP Sponsors Association Conference provides training opportunities on CACFP policy, administration, nutrition, meal pattern and much more. The conference is targeted to educating professionals from child care centers, family day care home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, head start programs, food banks, tribal nations, and State Agencies.

CAPPA and Resource & Referral Network Annual Joint Conference

The California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA) and the Child Care Resources and Referral Network Annual Joint Conference provides a networking and learning opportunity for professionals from the early care and education field including alternative payment programs, resource and referral programs, county welfare departments, and county offices of education. Attendees typically are subsidy child care administrators, family caseworkers, resource and referral counselors and trainers, food program administrators, and child care advocates.

National Association for Family Child Care

The annual National Association for Family Child Care Conference provides an opportunity for family child care professionals to learn, network and collaborate.

National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference

The National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference co-sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America and in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum, is targeted to anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates, federal, state and local government officials, child advocates, representatives of food banks and food rescue organizations, sponsoring organizations, and nutrition and anti-obesity groups.

Additional Online Training Opportunities

To find additional online training opportunities, visit:

USDA CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays Training to access free upcoming and recorded webinars on the CACFP meal patterns.
Institute of Child Nutrition CACFP web page to access free online courses.
Brighton Child Nutrition Training website includes many of the CDSS Bright Track (BT) online courses for those who do not have a CDSS BT account. Enter 25% in the Apply Coupon field during checkout to receive a 25% discount on the cost of courses. Refer to the CDSS BT Online Training section above for information on who can create a CDSS BT account.
Nemours Healthy Kids, Healthy Future (Formerly Let's Move! Child Care) Tool for Trainers to access free online courses in the Presentations and Webinars tab.
National CACFP Association Learning Center to locate free and low-cost online courses organized by specialty for CACFP operators and early learning and care staff.
University of California’s Nutrition Policy Institute free training videos, in English and Spanish, for family child care home providers. These short training videos can be used by educators, and align with evidence-based recommendations for what and how to feed infants and toddlers.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

Contact Us

CDSS Child and Adult Care Food Program
744 P Street, MS 9-13-290
Sacramento, CA 95814
833-559-2418
CACFPInfo@dss.ca.gov

For more information or if you have any questions about CACFP Training, please contact the CDSS CACFP Branch Training Team by email at CACFPTraining@dss.ca.gov.

CACFP Listservs

To receive program updates by email, subscribe to listservs by completing the form here or by scanning the QR code with your smart device.

Quick Links

Last updated: July 2025